Love
is the twenty-seventh episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It features the debut of the Lovelica Bugster and Ride-Player Nico. Synopsis Thanks to the public announcement by the Ministry of Health, the number of Kamen Rider Chronicle players seems to have decreased significantly, which would subsequently reduce the amount of game disease patients. However, unbelievable information about Kamen Rider Chronicle is released by Ren Amagasaki, the new CEO of Genm Corp. There is a hidden component inside Kamen Rider Chronicle, one that is said to dramatically increase player participation! However, Taiga, who was suspicious of the love and go CEO's actions, goes into Genm Corp. to confront him himself... Plot In the wake of the Ministry of Health recalling Kamen Rider Chronicle, Genm Corp. CEO Ren Amagasaki broadcasts an announcement to the public: Kamen Rider Chronicle's "Game Over" is not a defect but a feature, and after the final boss is defeated, all erased players will be revived, punctuating the speech by transforming into a Ride-Player and telling everyone they can be a hero. "Hero" catches Nico's attention and she races off. Naturally, the doctors are convinced that reviving players is simply a lie to keep the game in circulation, but they are called to a Bugster attack. Emu and Hiiro arrive to find Revol and his soldier Viruses knocking a female Ride-Player out of her transformation, but as they transform into Ex-Aid and Brave Action and Quest Gamers Level 2, Nico arrives and transforms into a Ride-Player, decking her armor out with personal decals before jumping into battle. She defeats the soldier Viruses with bumper car animals before using a Reflect Energy Item against Revol's attack, then rising on a balloon and dropping down with "Nico Critical Kick", defeating him. A small Gashat-like object floats to her, and navigator Poppy arrives and says the Bang Bang Shooting Gashatrophy shows she defeated Revol, and is the first Ride-Player to defeat a Bugster. The first Ride-Player says she only started the game to revive her boyfriend who'd gotten a Game Over, but Nico starts showing signs of the game illness, and is rushed to CR; Taiga arrives to find her diagnosed with Vernier's infection. Nico explains she's tired of watching from the sidelines and this is her chance to be a hero too—as if she would ever lose. Her source of stress is being unable to game, and she berates Taiga for trying to make her stop when he never would, for never doing what she asked, and why is it his business to care what she does if he's always trying to push her away? Hiiro drags Taiga out of the patient ward, explaining that Nico doesn't respect him because he never takes her seriously, but Taiga leaves. As Parado and Poppy celebrate Kamen Rider Chronicle's new spike in popularity, Taiga barges into Ren's office, but Ren quickly link's Taiga's accusations to a concern for Nico. Ren then reveals himself as a Bugster and disappears. Nico inserts herself into the doctors' conference room, still complaining about Taiga despite knowing he's trying to protect her; then a call about Vernier comes in. Emu, Hiiro, and Nico arrive, but Ren steps in their way, admitting he made the call and promising to remove Nico's competition for her, using the Gashacon Bugvisor to become the Lovelica Bugster and summoning maid Viruses and Poppy. The Riders transform into Ex-Aid and Brave Level 2 and Ride-Player Nico, Nico running to fight Vernier but Lovelica stopping the others, Snipe Shooting Gamer Level 2 running in; the maid Viruses knock the Riders around before Lovelica faces them, each of their attacks registering as a Miss despite hitting. Lovelica explains that his game, Toki Meki Crisis, is about using charm to appeal to and win the heart of the opposite gender—fighting is not the way to win. His maid Viruses' booing and wooing impede the Riders and empower Lovelica, and he knocks them out of their transformations and into a fountain pond, all from the power of expertly refined words. Nico turns to them, and Vernier uses the chance to shoot her out of her transformation as well, Taiga catching her but being pushed away. As Lovelica mocks him for being unlikeable, Taiga fires back: he doesn't want to be liked. Unlike other people with futures, he has nothing to lose, and so will carry alone all the burden of fighting so others don't have to; he was happy when Nico chose him as her doctor, and he won't stop her fighting anymore, no matter how many times he has to cure her game illness. He transforms to Snipe Simulation Gamer Level 50 as the maid Viruses begin to swoon, and he knocks Vernier aside and destroys him with Bang Bang Critical Fire. Emu notices Poppy speak a silent, "Thank goodness." Lovelica tries brushing off Taiga and Nico's touching moment, saying they have no taste; Nico sends the insult back, and the weaponized words knock Lovelica back to human form. He tries to quickly recover his composure before retreating. Taiga and Nico decline joining Emu's "team", saying they'll clear Kamen Rider Chronicle themselves before leaving. Back at CR, as Emu is leaving for the night, he stops to look at Poppy's arcade cabinet, remembering her smile from after the battle. Could the old her still be there? Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *Lovelica Bugster (Voice): * : Guest Cast * : *Genm Corp. employees: , *Secretary: (Uncredited) * : * : Suit Actors *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 2: *Kamen Rider Brave Level 2: *Kamen Rider Snipe Level 2, Level 50: *Ride-Player Nico: *Lovelica Bugster: *Revol Bugster: *Vernier Bugster: Rider Gashat *'Gashat Used:' **Ex-Aid ***Mighty Action X **Brave ***Taddle Quest **Snipe ***Bang Bang Shooting, Gashat Gear Dual β (Bang Bang Simulations) **Ride-Player Nico ***Kamen Rider Chronicle *'Level Used:' **Ex-Aid ***Action Gamer Level 2 **Brave ***Quest Gamer Level 2 **Snipe ***Shooting Gamer Level 2, Simulation Gamer Level 50 Energy Items *'Energy Items Used:' **Ride-Player Nico ***Reflect **Unused ***Speeding-Up, Iron-Body, Instigate, High-Jump, Muscular, Recover, Invisible, Confusion Errors *When Ren becomes a Ride-Player, the Gashat doesn't announce its name, though the music and transformation announcement play as normal. *When Snipe Simulation Gamer Level 50 uses his finisher, the ship hull part on his hands suddenly switch position into upright position, when normally they are upside-down. Notes *As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 10, . *'Viewership': 3.5% *'Closing Screen': **Text Color: Pink *'Count at episode end' **'Gashats in Ex-Aid's possession': Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots, Shakariki Sports, Bakusou Bike, Giri Giri Chambara, Mighty Brothers XX, Maximum Mighty X **'Gashats in Brave's possession': Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat, Drago Knight Hunter Z **'Gashats in Snipe's possession': Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat, Gashat Gear Dual β **'Gashats in Para-DX's possession': Gashat Gear Dual **'Gashats in Poppy's possession': Toki Meki Crisis **'Gashats in Ride-Player Nico's possession': Kamen Rider Chronicle **'Gashats in the Ministry of Health's possession': Proto Mighty Action X, Proto Taddle Quest, Proto Bang Bang Shooting, Proto Bakusou Bike, Proto Gekitotsu Robots, Proto DoReMiFa Beat, Proto Giri Giri Chambara, Proto Jet Combat, Proto Shakariki Sports, Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z **'Unknown owner': Ju Ju Burger **'Gashatrophies in Ride-Player Nico's possession': Bang Bang Shooting *'Video Game References in this episode:' **The 'Love & Peace' part of the title could be a reference to the ending theme from Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2. **Ren lies that players who were killed in Kamen Rider Chronicle can come back to life after the game is completed. This is a reference to and how certain game campaigns prevent a player from respawning until a winner is determined for that particular game mode. **Poppy checks on the number of Players of Kamen Rider Chronicle. Certain game companies keep track of the number of players using their games, especially online games. **Nico customizing her Ride-Player form could be a reference to certain video games where players get to customize their avatars whenever they start a new game. Examples of this type of game include LEGO Universe, My Blue Robot, ''and ''Steven Universe: Soundtrack Attack. **Lovelica's only method of getting damaged by being insulted by women is a reference to how a player loses and gets a game over for dating sim games when the character which players try to impress dumps them. *The use of "Love & Peace" in Latin letters with an ampersand is most likely a reference to the catchphrase of Vash the Stampede from Trigun as the Japanese name for the fourth episode of Trigun was spelled exactly the same way, albeit in uppercase instead of lowercase. *This is the first time that Ex-Aid doesn't assume Maximum Gamer Level 99 since its debut. *When Ren is confronted by Taiga in his office, he mentioned Nico with a special gesture, which is same as the signature pose of Nico Yazawa from Love Live! who shares the same given name with Nico Saiba. **His actor, Shinya Kote confirms this on Twitter.https://twitter.com/KOTEshinya/status/853554180316725251 **Coincidentally, there is also a song named Oh,Love&Peace! from Love Live!. DVD/Blu-ray releases *Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 7 features episodes 25-28: Start the New Game!, Players Who Bet on Survival, Love & Peace for the Winner! and Beyond Your Identity. *Blu-ray Collection 3 comes with 12 episodes. Ex-Aid Vol 7.jpg|''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' Volume 7, DVD 81OSoTyJZ4L SL1184 .jpg|''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' Collection 3, Blu-ray External Links *TV Asahi's official episode guide for 勝者に捧ぐlove & peace！ *Toei TV's official episode guide for 勝者に捧ぐlove & peace！ References Category:New Kamen Rider Episode